Category: Video

Posts including videos

A man leans into the end of a large iron cylinder, using an angle-grinder to cut away at small metal tubes inside.

Vlog 387: Hot Stuff

Posted on January 10, 2026January 10, 2026 by David Johns

In 2025, over a period of some months, two steam narrowboats, called Tixall and Emily Anne, had their boilers removed and their pipes taken out for replacement. This is the story of that epic job!

Vlog 386: Happy New Year

Posted on January 1, 2026December 31, 2025 by David Johns

Happy New Year! This is a quick “fireside chat” (with no fire to speak of) just updating you on what’s likely to be in store here in 2026. Cheers!

Vlog 385: Festive Fun at Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2025December 25, 2025 by David Johns

For Christmas Day, what could be finer than bringing my canal wife and canal mistress together for a lovely spot of lunch aboard the narrowboat, eh? So I did.

Vlog 384B: Homeward Bound

Posted on December 17, 2025December 17, 2025 by David Johns

On a sunny day in July, I embarked upon the final leg of my marathon journey from Lincoln to the East Midlands, bringing narrowboat Gentian to its permanent mooring “home” (from which I will now undertake weekend cruises). It was another glorious day, and busy on the canals too as we headed towards summer holiday season. Yes, this was filmed mid-July!

Vlog 384A: The light at the start of the tunnel

Posted on December 10, 2025 by David Johns

On the final weekend of my long journey bringing narrowboat Gentian from Lincoln to the Midlands, I enjoyed hot sunshine and lots of other boaters saying hello. It was so hot in fact that I ended up having to moor in the shade to keep cool.

Vlog 383B: On the Brink

Posted on November 30, 2025 by David Johns

It was mid-July and as I journed further along the North Oxford canal in my tiny narrowboat, the heavens opened as if it were already autumn, bringing much-needed replenishment to the low water levels on the canals.

Vlog 383A: Tow’s Company

Posted on November 19, 2025 by David Johns

We launch into the final stages of my trip bringing narrowboat Gentian down from Lincoln to the East Midlands, here departing Springwood Haven marina and heading for Brinklow, pausing at Hawkesbury Junction.

Vlog 382: Super Ply Guy

Posted on November 9, 2025 by David Johns

After being called away unexpectedly when I was last working on my fibreglass project cruiser, Twiggy, I was able to return a couple of weeks later to continue shaping the second chunk of wood that will make up the new transom core.

Vlog 381B: A Spring in my Step

Posted on October 29, 2025 by David Johns

Continuing my journey aboard my narrowboat, this time from Polesworth down to Springwood Haven marina, where it would remain for a further three weeks before I was able to move it again. On the way, I went through the 11-lock Atherstone lock flight, with surprising ease due to help from lockies and fellow boaters.

Vlog 381A: Polepole

Posted on October 19, 2025 by David Johns

As part of my ongoing journey bringing narrowboat Gentian down from Lincoln to the Midlands over the summer, I had stopped at Kings Orchard marina in Lichfield. The next step was to take it to Springwood Haven marina near Nuneaton so in this video I begin this leg, getting as far as Polesworth, and sharing a (narrow) lock with another tiny narrowboat on the way.

Canal Life